Laptops Restored Blog

Sony has the most confusing laptop model numbering system of the major brands. There is usually a model # that starts with VGN (ex. ) at the bottom of the screen and there is a second model # that usually starts with PCG (ex. PCG-7133L) that appears on the label on the bottom of the laptop. So when looking for spare parts (batteries, power supplies, optical drives, etc.) do a search for both part numbers.

Recently we repaired a HP zv6000 laptop computer with a broken hinge inside the screen assembly. From observation of other laptop models, the part where the hinge broke looks weak. The observation was confirmed when we did an eBay search for the replacement part and found that there are numerous bids for this part. Thus it appears that the hinge assembly is an Achilles Heel for the HP zv6000.

We recently did a power jack repair on a Toshiba Satellite P35. The repair was successful and the battery charged again. However, on start up, the  laptop would freeze at the “Windows” screen. When we did a hard shutdown, the laptop would restart normally after giving the “unexpected shutdown” options. We traced the problem to a MiniPCI wireless card, even though the card worked when the computer was restarted. The card was removed, and the laptop worked properly.

Dell laptop power supplies (for the Inspiron 8600 for example) are a special case in that there is an extra pin in the connector that sends a signal to the laptop. If this connection is broken then you will get an error message on startup that reads something like “the ac power adapter type cannot be determined. this will prevent optimal system performance” and the laptop will power on but will not charge the battery. If the connection problem is in the power jack, as it often is, then the power jack pin has to be resoldered very carefully on the opposite side of the motherboard from the other power jack pins. So when you take your laptop in for repair and you have a power supply with a very thin central pin in the connector, make sure that the technician is proficient in replacing this type of power jack.

We recently repaired a power jack on a Dell Inspiron B130. After the repair the laptop would not turn on and the caps lock light would blink 10 times and the laptop would then power down. Here’s the procedure to solve this problem:

1. Take battery out, unplug the cord.
2. Remove the two DIMM memory modules.
3. Plug the laptop back in and turn it on. The caps lock and the scroll lock lights will turn on and then the laptop will power down.
4. Unplug the laptop. Reseat the two DIMM memory modules.
5. Turn the laptop back on and if all goes well, the laptop will start normally.

We recently worked on a Toshiba Qosmio G25 with overheating problems. The main culprit was dust clogging the heatsink fins as shown in the photo. Also we replaced the fan and reseated the heatsink on the processor with new thermal grease.

We recently repaired a ASUS Z7100 laptop with a display that turned on and off intermittently. At first I suspected that it was an inverter or a back light problem but when the display would turn off, I also noticed a distortion in graphics right before. This led me to suspect the video card or chip. This particular laptop had a separate video card which made diagnostics easier. When taking the heat sink off of the video chip, I observed that the bonding pad was torn and did not adhere well to either the heat sink or the chip. I replaced the heat sink on the chip with new thermal compound and the laptop worked fine afterward. So what I initially suspected was a display problem, turned out to be overheating of the video chip.

We recently had a laptop in for repair that wouldn’t turn on after a tea spill under the laptop. The culprit was a memory stick. As you can see, there are burn marks towards the lower middle and upper middle.